Every once in awhile I get an obsession that makes a tiny bit of sense. I'm currently digging big white sofas, which is a good thing since I own one very big white sofa.
For years now, I've been wishing for something lean and modern, like Room and Board's Loring sofa below, instead of what I've got, which is this.
My big fat white sofa has been with us since 1995. The white has gotten dingy. The cushions are squished. The pillows look defeated. But still I keep it.
Recently I came across a free bag of upholstry batting, which I could use to re-fatten the pillows. I've played around with the idea of making a slipcover but didn't want to spend more than a few dollars a yard for fabric since it will probably take at least 16 yards to cover this massive ship that docked in my living room. (It's eight feet long, no kidding.)
Lots of bloggers have made curtains out of drop cloth canvas used by painters, but this would produce a natural linen-looking slipcover and I want bright white.
I looked at Osnaburg. I looked at burlap. I took a last ditch visit to ikea.com and found white fabric for $3 a yard. But there's an even better bargain lurking in those pages - sheets. A flat sheet, more than two yards of fabric, is $2. We are talking a dollar a yard.
All I need now is one thousand hours or so to make the thing.
Image sources: City Sage, Simplified Bee, Four Walls and a Roof, Bryn Alexander, Wisteria, 2 by Design, Room and Board.
I'm entranced by image 6, the beautiful white French sofa. And you're right about sheets - I buy them for children's make and do as even nice cotton ones are so very cheap compared with fabric.
ReplyDeletei love the look of a giant white couch and my dogs would love the opportunity to dirty one up i'm sure!
ReplyDeleteI've got a big white sectional...also dingy. Of course the cushions' covers can be removed and washed -- but that just makes the fact that the upholstered frame is pretty yellow now...blech.
ReplyDeleteLove you blog, keep up the good work! I too have a large sofa which I sewed a slip cover for,I used the drop clothes you spoke of and soaked them in Javex first, they came out beautifully white! I throw them in the wash every couple of months with another dash of Javex and 3 years later they still look great.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I guess the question is how durable sheets would be, even if you had the time to cover the sofa in them. Have you ever tried using one of those online custom slipcover-making services? It involves spending money, but would be much cheaper than a new sofa and quicker than trying to do a whole sofa alone. I've no idea how well they work though, and would be curious to know. Failing that, a throw works wonders!
ReplyDeleteLucy
Have you ever used one of those online custom slipcover services? You send in the measurements and hope they send something back that fits. I wonder how well it would work. But, if successful it would be way cheaper than a new sofa and quicker than doing it yourself.
ReplyDeleteNo, never tried such a service. I bet it's more than I want to spend, though. Never tried Javex either. Is that the same as Clorox but a different brand name?
ReplyDeleteI am right there with you! I use flat white sheets for tons of projects around the house, and ironically, my next one is a slipcover for my sofa. :) Definitely the most cost effective secret out there!
ReplyDeleteThere is no dispute in the beauty of a white sofa if the style we need is sleek and modern, eclectic or traditional. White furniture can be seen everywhere in the design of modern interiors.
ReplyDeleteGood to know about them.....
Sofas